Manufacture of artificial silk



April 1939- A. J.VL. MORI'QI'Z 2,155,324

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SlL-K Filed April 9, 1937 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT .OFFlC E ARTIFICIAL SILK Adrian J. 1.. Morlfl, Enka, N. 0., as'slgnor to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N. 0., a corporation of Delaware Application April9, 1937, Serial No. 136,014

I 4 Claims. (c1.",1s-s) The present invention is directed to an improvement in an apparatus and method for use in the continuous spinning of filaments of artificial origin. It is particularly concerned with an arrangement of the various elements of the spinning' apparatus whereby the filaments may be continuously extruded, precipitated, wet-treated and dried in an improved manner.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevationof a single unit embodying the invention, the spinning bath being shown in section.-

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation from the righthandendcfFigure2.

Figure 4 is a schematic front elevation illusfreely rotating guide rod or roller, and from there to the drawing roller 5. This drawing roller may be a cylinder of glass or other suitable material and is preferably sufllciently long to serve a number of spinning places. After leaving the roller 8, the thread 4 passes to a guide roller 8 and from there around two spaced rollers I and 8 rotating in the same direction.

The roller 1 is carried on and driven by a horizontal shaft 8, which is supported in a bearing 9a and is rotated by the shaft [8 through thebevel gears II, II. The roller 8 is supported and carried on the shaft II, which is driven by the shaft ll through the bevel gears l8, ii. The shaft I 2 is positioned in the same horizontal plane as the shaft 8 but at a slight angle thereto, such as to cause the thread to advance. along the rollers.

The shaft l2 or the shaft '8, or both of them, may be adjustable in the horizontal plane, so that the angle of the roller 8 to the roller 1 may be altered to give the desired rate of advancement and allowance for shrinkage of the thread on the rollers. If it be desired, both of these rollers may be adjustable. 'I'he teeth of the bevel gears for the adjustable shaft may be slightly'curved, as illustrated at a, to permit the changing of. the.

II angle of the shaft l2; The shaft I! may adnozzle Justablysupported in abearlng at "a so that it. can swing in an arc concentric with the curve. of the gear teeth at I811. The movement ofthis shaft would be very slight in most instances and it is obvious, that other means for driving the shaft so as to allow such adJustment may be provided.

The thread 4 passes many times around the rollers I and 8, during which passage it is sub- Jected to wet treating and heat treating, as hereinafter. described.

As it leaves the rollers, the thread passes through a guide HI, and from there may be conducted to a suitable collecting means, such as a take-up roller or bobbin or a centrifugal collecting device.

.The wet treating means in 'the embodiment illustrated includes a spray head I 5, having a numberiof outlets lid and {being positioned above the upper strands of the thread 4 on the rollers I and 8 at a" point between the rollers. It maybe preferable to extend the spray heads over either or both rollers I and 8 and in some cases pairs of spray heads may be employed separately over the rollers so that the liquid is sprayed on the rollers rather than between the same. The treating liquid is supplied to the spray head I5 through the pipe Hi leading from the pipe H, which may be a common supply pipe for supplying liquid to corresponding spray heads of all of the units of the machine. 1

The treating liquid supplied to the thread by the'spray head IE will contact the upper strands of the thread and fall through and contact the lower strands of the thread. A tray I8 is provided under the spray head I5 to catch the excess treating liquid that passes through the strands of the thread; A drain I9 conducts the treating liquid 7 to a common receiver pipe 28 from where it may be discharged, or, it may be recirculated for use again,- with or without an intermediate purifying operation.

A plurality of means for applying treating liquid to each unit may be provided. In the drawing there is shown a second spray head 2| ,"fed by a line 22 from a common supply pipe 28. Also,

similar means may-be provided for separately catching and disposing of the second treating liquid, as illustrated at 24, 25 and 28. Additional means for supplying and disposing of other treating liquids, or course, maybe provided, if desired.

A certain amount of the. treating liquids will be carried by the strands of the thread onto the rollers I and 8 and will be advanced with the thread as it, advances on the rollers. In order to prevent the excessive admixture of the liquids on the rollers, wiping means may be provided for wiping the liquids from the rollers. As shown in the drawing, these wiping means are in the form 6 of flexible pads 21 and 21a carried by a fixed support 28. These pads should be of a material that will resist the eifect of the treating liquid and the abrasion of the roller. Pads of rubber or cloth-like material are suitable for this use. The 10 wipers 21 and 21a are preferably flexible and held under tension, so that they are always in contact with the rollers. 01', they may be carried on resilient supporting means adapted to maintain 25 electrical resistance wire type positioned within the roller. If desired, a gas burner, applied to the inner or outer surface of the roller, may be used. Also, it is contemplated that a similar heater may be used in or under the roller 8, to-

30 gether with or instead of the heater 30.

In the operation of the device illustrated in the v drawing, thespinning solution which may be the usual viscose spinning solution is extruded into the usual precipitating bath for viscose threads.

86 The thread resulting from the bundle of filaments thus formed is drawn by means of the roller 5, the rate of rotation of which roller may besuch asto supply the desired stretching of the threads between the roller 5 and the guide In. The thread 40 then passes around the guide 6 and to and around the rollers l and 8. The rollers I and 8 are of the same diameter and rotate at the same speed. In

the preferred operation they are rotated at the same peripheral speed as the peripheral speed of 45 the roller 5, so that no stretching takes place between the roller 8 and the roller 8.

The angle of the shaft I! to the shaft 8 willhave been adjusted so that the thread will be progressed at the proper rate toward the outer end of 50 the-rollers and so that the shrinkage taking place during the wet treating and drying maybe accommodated without exerting undue tension upon the filaments.

As the thread passes under the spray head ll,

55 dilute acid (for example, sulphuric acid of a concentration of about 110-112 grams of 1.84 specific gravity; sulphuric acid per liter) may be applied.

The excess acid solution will be caught in the tray l8 and may be conducted through a pipe" to a so settling tank where any sulphur or other suspended matter may be separated. The acid may 7 then be returned for reuse at the spray head IS, with the necessaryadjustment in the concentration of the acid solution. The acid solu- 55 tion that is carried to or by the rollers I and 8 is removed by the wipers 21 and 2'la.

As the thread advances under the second spray head 2|, it may be washed with the water, the

excess water being caught in the tray 24 and the 7 water that advances with the rollers 'l and 8 being removed by the wipers 29 and 28a.

The outer end of the roller 1 may be heated to a temperature of about 150-190 0., whereby the thread is thoroughly dried before it reaches the 75 end of the roller. It may be then led to the collection device, which may include a roller or bobbin rotating at the same or difierent peripheral speed from the peripheral speed of the roller 8 or it may be led to some other suitable collection device, such as a centrifugal receiver.

- making artificial silk. I

As illustrated in Figure 4, a single machine may include a number of units actuated by the same shafts and supplied with liquid from common pipes. In the modification illustrated, the units are positioned in horizontal rows and in staggered relation in order to conserve space.

Other arrangements may, of course, be used.

The terms used in describing the invention have been used in their descriptive sense and not as terms of limitation and it is intended that all equivalents thereof be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In the manufacture of artificial silk, a process for the continuous production of rayon 3" thread and the like from cellulosic solutions and the treatment thereof which comprises extruding a cellulosic solution through a spinning nozzle into a precipitating bath to form a thread composed of a number of filaments, withdrawing the thread and passing the same a plurality of times around rollers arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane, causing the thread as it is passed to and around each roller said plurality of times to approach the respective rollers substantially at right anglesto their respective axes, thereby to eiiect the passage of the thread in a horizontal spiral form, spraying a treating liquid between the rollers upon one portion of the spirally arranged thread,.spraying another treating liquid between the rollers upon a portion of the spirally arranged thread spaced longitudin'ally of the rollers from the first mentioned portion, and removing the treating liquid from the respective rollers adjacent each said portion as it is conducted thereto and therealong by the thread, thereby to avoid substantial intermingling of the treating liquids utilized in the respective portions.

'2. In the manufacture of artificial silk, a process for the continuous production; of rayon thread and the like from cellulosic solutions and the treatment thereof which comprises extruding a cellulosic solution through a spinning nozzle into a precipitating bath to form a thread 50 composed of a number of filaments, withdrawing the thread and passing the same a plurality of times around rollers arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane, causing the thread as it is passed to and around each roller said 05 plurality of times to approach the respective rollers substantially at right angles to their respective axes thereby to eifect the passage of the thread in a horizontal spiral form, spraying a treating liquid between the rollers upon one portion of the spirally arranged thread and drying a latter portion of thespirally arranged thread as it passes around the rollers, which latter portion is spaced longitudinally of the rollers from the liquid treated portion.

3. An apparatus for the continuous production of rayon thread and the like which comprises a spinning nozzle positioned within a precipitating medium, means for withdrawing a thread therefrom and advancing the same spirally in' a horizontal direction which means comprises spaced driven rollers around which the thread is drawn, said rollers having their axes in substantially the same horizontal plane and at an angle slightly converging toward their outer ends, means for supplying liquid to a portion of the spirally arranged thread passing between the rollers, means for supplying heat to at least one of the rollers, and scrapers positioned between-the I liquid treating zone and the heating zone for removing liquid from the rollers.

4. An apparatus for the continuous production oi rayon thread and the like which comprises a spinning nozzle positioned within a precipitating medium, means for withdrawing a thread therefrom and advancing the same spirally in a horizontal direction which means comprises spaced driven rollers around which the thread is drawn, said rollers having their axes in substantially the same horizontal plane and at an angle slightly converging toward their outer ends, means for spraying an acid solution on one portion oi. the spirally arranged thread between the rollers, means to receive the excess liquid so supplied, means for scraping said acid solution from the rollers, means for spraying water on another portion of the spirally arranged thread between the rollers, which portion is spaced longitudinally of the rollers from the first mentioned portion,

1 means for scraping water from the rollers, and a drying means beyond said second scrapers.

ADRIAN J. L. 

